by Kira Saito
“Over here.” Lucus motioned me to an oak tree. Hated being ordered around, I hesitated. “Why?”
“You’ll see.” He was so sure of himself, so confident that I would flock to him like Sabrina. “I promise it’s worth your while.”
“Fine.” I gave in and walked towards the tree.
“Sit here.” He pointed to a spot under the tree where he had placed a blanket and a pitcher of sweet tea accompanied by slices of Creole cream cheesecake.
“Why there?” I questioned as I sat down. “Okay, I get it,” I said within a minute of positioning myself against the tree. The spot was absolutely perfect. The ancient, oak tree shielded us from the burning afternoon rays and a cool wind breezed through my hair, lifting it off my neck.
“Here, I thought you might need this.” Lucus handed me a white towel which I grabbed and used to wipe off the sweat that had transformed my face in to an oil slick. My tinted moisturizer slid off as I patted myself staining the towel beige. “Gross.” I examined the ruined towel. “I hope it isn’t expensive.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He bent down and took the towel from my hand and tossed it aside. As he did, I couldn’t help but notice that his thin white t-shirt had started to cling to his chest because of how much he was sweating. It provided a clear outline of his muscular torso, catching myself staring, I looked away in embarrassment.
“So, are you going to tell me what the song means?” I asked tugging my hair before putting it up into a ponytail. I was a little anxious that Sabrina would see us. Luckily, the way we were positioned blocked us from the view of anyone in the river.
“What do you think it means?” Lucus took a seat beside me. We were side by side, our bodies resting against the tree trunk. Far enough from one another, so that we weren’t exactly touching, but close enough to make me nervous for God knows what reason.
“If I knew I wouldn’t ask,” I retorted.
Lucus laughed and turned his head, so he had a clear view of the side of my face. This made me feel self-conscious and awkward. I always suspected that I had a large nose and hated when people stared directly at my profile, so I faced him. “Tell me, I don’t have all day. Some of us have to work you know.” I was being rude only because I was anxious. Unlike Sabrina, I didn’t have much experience with guys. I wasn’t the type of girl that batted her eyelashes and twirled her hair. I was a bit impaired, not exactly a smooth operator.
“It’s code,” Lucus began. “When the slaves tried to escape, the song was sung in order to advise them on how to remain undetected by the bloodhounds that were tracking them. The exact specifics of it are a mystery though. I suppose only the slaves themselves can answer that question. For the most part, the song advises the slaves to stay in the water at the certain times and on land at others. I do believe it aided some of them in their attempt to escape to Canada. This is only one of many songs they sang to help and protect one another. The slave master was the enemy so the less he understood, the better it was for the slaves.”
“I get it. They didn’t want every detail of their lives dissected and analyzed. They felt like they needed to have some control and through coded songs they had that. Or I could be completely wrong, and they thought the songs were just catchy or something.”
Lucus timidly smiled. “Your first theory is probably a bit more accurate.”
“It’s kind of like voodoo. Everyone thinks it’s such a big mystery and full of darkness because it’s so secretive,” I reasoned. “The slaves were only trying to protect what was left of their former lives.” When I thought about the powers I had in that light, I felt honored to be the voice of so many people who were kept in silence for so many centuries.
He carefully reflected on what I said before responding. “Exactly.”
“Why can I hear them? Does that mean that their souls are trapped at Darkwood?”
“Ms. Mae told me that their souls are free and have passed on safely to the other side, but they occasionally come back to Darkwood when they have a purpose.”
“What purpose?”
“I don’t exactly know,” he eventually admitted. “I think that they want to communicate with you, make you understand how things were. Open your eyes to possibilities that you never thought about before.”
“Were they given a proper burial?” I whispered terrified of the answer I would get. “Were the slaves that died here given proper graves?”
“Yes,” Lucus looked pained as he answered me. “There is the LaPlante family cemetery, but also the old slave cemetery close to the swamp. Although, I don’t agree with my family’s history, every slave was given a proper burial.”
“But, did it really get that bad here. I mean, did the plantation really use bloodhounds to chase after the slaves?” I was horrified at the prospect of one of my distant relatives ever having to go through an ordeal like that. “How did Louis Beau really die? What argument did he have with the slave manager?”
Lucus’s voice was hauntingly solemn as he answered. “I don’t know no one does. I heard that bloodhounds were used when it was necessary. However, it was very rare that a slave actually ran away. They knew if they did get caught by another plantation owner their lives would be much worse.”
“Don’t you ever feel guilty?” I asked. “I mean knowing that you have all this because of what your family did to others.” I felt myself get angry, as I thought about the injustice that the poor slaves faced on the land where we were now lounging and drinking sweet tea on.
“I do. I suppose there is a certain stigma attached to belonging to the LaPlante family.” His eyes were deeply troubled, as if he were reflecting on something that had taken place years ago. “For the most part, I’ve learnt how to bury the shame and move on with my life. I’ve realized that if you let it, remorse can consume you entirely. Before you know it, you’re nothing more than a ghost lurking in the shadows.”
“That could have been me, you know,” I blurted out.
“What?” He was confused by my comment.
“Yeah, I’m part African-American. Obviously, it comes from my grand-mere’s side of the family, so that probably means that someone, somewhere in my past was a slave on this property right here. Besides, Ms. Mae says that the LaRues have been working for your family for years whatever that’s about.”
He looked at me like I had just escaped from a mental hospital. “I do believe the sweet tea and sunshine is getting to your head.”
“No, it’s not.” I hated when guys told me that I was crazy when I was being perfectly rational.
“Listen to me Arelia.” His forceful gaze unsettled me. “I don’t think you’d ever be a slave to anyone regardless of where you lived or what time period you were born. I bet you would have fought tooth and nail to claim your freedom and rights. You’re not like the rest of us. You have a fire inside you that can’t be put out so easily. If I had an ounce of your courage, my life would have turned out a lot different than it is now.”
“What’s so bad about the way your life turned out?” Didn’t he realize he had it all?
He paused and tugged on his t-shirt. “It’s sweltering out here.” He clearly didn’t want to talk about why his life was so horrible.
“Fine, if you don’t want to talk about yourself, tell me why the LaRues have been working for your family for so long?”
He let go of his t-shirt. “The LaRues have been working for the LaPlante family for years because they are the only family the LaPlantes trust.”
“Trust, how?” He had me intrigued.
“Your grand-mere’s family was employed after the Mad Marie incident in hopes of freeing my great great-great grandfather from the deal Marie had entwined him in. They were all free women of color who chose to work with the family, not by any sort of force.”
“Why were they chosen and trusted?” I pressed him for more details.
“They were excuse me,” he corrected himself, “are powerful voodoo queens, some even rumored to be stronger t
han Marie herself.”
“So, were they able to do it? Was your great great-great grandfather freed from the curse?”
“I don’t believe he was. Most folks can still see him around Darkwood.” His voice sounded defeated. “I know you must think it’s silly of me to be worried that some ghost is running around here, but you see it’s the principle I suppose. I can’t stand the thought of him being bound to this land forever, running around in circles with no end in sight.”
“I don’t think you’re silly at all. I know how important it is for souls to pass on safely to the other side, wherever that is. My grand-mere held an elaborate ritual when my grand-pere passed. I mean if you really love someone and care for them, you need to make sure they’re safe for eternity right?”
Lucus looked relived. “So you don’t think I’m crazy?”
I laughed. “I come from crazy,” I assured him. “I don’t get it, if all of this happened so long ago, why is Ms. Mae still working for your family and why did Grand-mere Bea leave?” I was flooding him with questions, but all of it was just starting to make sense to me.
“I suppose it’s tradition that Southern loyalty which prompted your aunt to stay. Besides do you really despise me that much that you’ve automatically branded my entire family as monsters?” His gloom evaporated, and I could see a small smile forming at the corner of his lovely lips. Wait. Did I really just describe his lips as lovely? Maybe the sweet tea and sunshine was getting to my head.
“I never said that,” I defended myself. “I never said you guys were monsters. How do you know so much about Darkwood anyways?”
“Why shouldn’t I? I am a LaPlante after all.”
“Yeah, I know that, but guys your age care about cars and football, not history.”
He let out a small laugh. “There you go again. You really do think you know it all, don’t you?”
“Like I said, I’m just calling it like I see.” It was true all the guys I did know only cared about cars and football.
“There was a time when all I cared about were women and wealth. I felt entitled and showed little respect to others who were less fortunate than myself.”
“What changed?”
“Understanding that power and greed could have ugly consequences that are irreparable.”
“I see.” Lucus sounded a bit dramatic, but hey I wasn’t one to judge. I had my own fair share of drama over the past few days.
“It really sucks that all those people back then couldn’t enjoy the land like it is today. I mean I doubt there were many picnics back then.”
“From what I heard there weren’t many. The slaves at Darkwood were only allowed gatherings a few times a year in which they were given extra food from the main house. I’m sure the few parties they were allowed to have were far greater than this.”
“No way. How could they have enjoyed a party with some nasty slave master standing over them?”
“Just picture it. Close your eyes,” Lucus ordered as he placed the tips of his fingers on my forehand. They felt light as cotton candy as he lowered them to my eyes and closed my lids. I felt them linger on the ends of my eyelashes and then move downwards as if they were recording all the shadows and contours of my face. My heart raced with anticipation at where they would move to next. I should have opened my eyes at that very second and left, but it felt as if I were glued to the earth below. All the noise around me vanished, and at that moment, there was only me and Lucus.
“Imagine a full moon on a dark night,” Lucus rested his hand on my shoulder and began describing his version of what a party held by the slaves might have looked like centuries ago. “The river lit by the flames of a bonfire and brought to life by the beating of African drums. The aroma of black-eyed pea soup and jambalaya fills the air while children play and dance. For just one moment, every slave forgets their miserable existence and gives thanks for the little that they do have. Sometimes there is sheer beauty in simplicity.”
As he continued to describe the scene, I felt myself get transported back in time. My nostrils filled with the scent of jambalaya and my body moved to the rhythm of the drums.
“Now that doesn’t seem too terrible, does it?” he asked. “It’s no justification for the cruelties they endured, but if they were happy for just one moment, it means that they suffered a little less.”
“I guess. I mean under the circumstances, but that still doesn’t make it right and will never make it right.” I opened my eyes as Lucus dropped his hand from my shoulders. In some weird way, he had made me feel less guilty about lazing around on the grounds. He made me feel comfortable, but at the same time inexplicably terrified and vulnerable. “So why did your family decide to open Darkwood to guests this summer?”
“It was my idea. I thought it was about time to share some of its magic with the public. Let them see how beautiful it really is. The past can never be altered, but that doesn’t mean the future has to be bleak as well.”
“It is gorgeous,” I admitted. “Where does your family get the money to keep it in such good condition? I mean the property is still in great shape considering it’s so old.”
“The LaPlante family fortune runs deep. It’s vast and is centuries old.”
“Must be tough,” I sighed at the thought of having a vast fortune.
“Arelia, trust me when I say that money is not everything. The gift that you have is far more valuable and can never be bought or sold.” His voice was full of passion and conviction, as he tried to persuade me how hard it was being rich. I wasn’t exactly buying it.
“Of course it can. People try to sell their soul to the Devil all the time,” I joked.
“And look how that always turns out,” Lucus darkly replied.
We sat in silence for a few moments enjoying the breeze and the shade the oak tree provided. It wasn’t an awkward pause. It actually felt so comfortable that I sensed my eyes starting to get heavy. Being out in the sun all day wasn’t something that I was used to and I never realized how much energy it could take out of someone. Plus, yesterday I had spent the night babysitting Ben and then Sabrina. I estimated that I got barely an hour’s sleep between all the craziness. From where I was sitting, I could smell Lucus. Given the fact that he was sweaty, he should have smelled pretty gross, but he didn’t. He smelled rather inviting.
“Arelia!” Sabrina’s shriek snapped me out of my nap. “What are you doing?”
“Huh?” I opened my eyes and realized that I had crashed from my sweet tea fuelled high and had fallen asleep with my head resting on Lucus’s shoulder. Great, first Sabrina had passed out, and now it was me. He must have thought we were the most inadequate employees to ever have worked at Darkwood. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled in embarrassment as I got up. “I didn’t realize. I must have fallen asleep.” I was mortified, but tried to keep calm.
“It’s really not a problem.” Lucus didn’t make a big deal out of me slobbering on his shoulder.
“Can I talk you for a minute?” Sabrina grabbed my arm and pulled me away from where I was standing. “Just give us a minute, please,” she said to Lucus, her voice turning from bitter to sweet.”
“Take your time,” Lucus replied.
Chapter 11
The Good Fight
Sabrina was on a mission as she dragged me away from Lucus and the guests. I knew she was furious, the grip she had on my wrists was going to leave a mark of some sort. When satisfied that we were far away from the crowd, she stopped in front of a slave cabin and pulled me inside.
“How could you!” she instantly exploded. “You know that I like Lucus and you’re throwing yourself at him.” I tried to take her seriously, but since she was still in her bikini, it made it just a bit more difficult.
“What are you talking about? I’m throwing myself at him, how exactly am I doing that?” There was no way I was going to let her get away with her accusations.
“I wanted to spend time with him today. I brought this stupid bikini, so he would notice me
, but instead he’s sitting under a tree with you, stroking your hair,” she huffed.
“Stroking my hair, what the hell are you talking about? I fell asleep. That’s it,” I spat back. Had Lucus been stroking my hair while I had been asleep? I wasn’t sure if that was sweet or just plain creepy. Maybe he was a serial murderer after all. Whatever the case, I hadn’t felt him stroking my hair. I suspected that Sabrina was exaggerating a tiny bit.
“How convenient, that you just happened to fall asleep on his shoulder!”
“Maybe the reason I fell asleep is because I’ve been doing double the work I’m supposed to be doing, while you’re off chasing some guy.”
“Some guy, Lucus is not some guy.” Sabrina’s fair skin was getting blotchy like it usually did when she was angry.
“What is he then? You’ve known him for what two days and you seriously think you’re going to marry him. Get real. You don’t even know if he has a girlfriend or who knows he might be gay.”
Sabrina looked as if I just had slapped her across the face with a French baguette. From my experience at Lola’s, I knew those loaves of bread could be utilized as deadly weapons.
“Who cares if he does,” she shrugged. “I know he’s falling in love with me and you’re just ruining it by sneaking off with him whenever you can.”
“I haven’t been sneaking off with him. He’s the one who wanted to talk to me.” I justified my behavior even though I didn’t have to.
“Sure, blame him. I know you want his attention; you even blow-dried your hair and wore tinted moisturizer and mascara today. Why else would you do that?”
“I can’t look decent? Only you can load on globs of crap on your face. I don’t get you. You always tell me that I need to put in a little bit of an effort, and when I finally do, you think I’m competing against you.” I felt my blood starting to boil and my fingers starting to clutch, as a means of controlling my rage. “You’re such a hypocrite!”
